All Hallow's Eve
by Idiot Anonymous
Summary: For years he has been told that monsters don't exist. There are no giant demon ravens or possessed oak trees or anything like that, it's just not possible. If it were possible people would know and he would have heard about it. And yet, here he is, face-to-face with something that could only be described in a horror story. Modern AU, Vladimir/Ezreal, Halloween themed.


-x-x-x-x-x-

"Come on, Ez, it'll be fun! Costume parties are always a blast!" Caitlyn says for what must be her millionth time trying to convince Ezreal to come along.

Every single year she does this and every single year it ends with Ezreal going along with his friend anyway. If Caitlyn cannot for _some_ reason convince him to come along, then Jayce will no doubt step up and try as well. To be honest it's far beyond annoying. Ezreal shakes his head, glaring at the sheriff, "No. I will _not_ be going this year, Caitlyn! I've gone every single year and every single year it's a horrible waste of time. Oh, but not only is it a waste of my time, it's a waste of my _free_ time."

Caitlyn nods along, seeming as if she isn't even paying attention until she replies, "Mhm. Look, you don't go to school, Ez, so your only mandatory 'waste of time' is your job, which still gives you several hours to goof off afterward. You have today off work, so that doesn't even count here. So, what eats your time is wandering through the forests and caves nearby and drawing maps for them." Ezreal opens his mouth to object, assuming Caitlyn is just going to say he should stop going on his mini explorations and instead head back to school, but the sheriff cuts in first. "It is a good hobby, don't get me wrong, but those trees aren't gonna move and those caves aren't gonna disappear. You have plenty of time to map those out later, it's just one day away from that, Ez, and it will be good for you."

Ezreal raises a brow, "Uh huh. There are _no_ good reasons, Caitlyn. Seriously, name _one_ good reason I should go."

"Socialization. You don't spend time near people unless you have to and it's not healthy, you need to try and make more friends or get a girlfriend or _something_." Ezreal pulls an odd look, to which Caitlyn frowns and adds, "I am being quite serious here, Ez. You are always grumpy when you have to 'deal with' people and it's not good for you or the relations with those people."

The young male shifts, not at all willing to go down that easily, "Name one more reason."

A smirk appears on the sheriff's lips, "It'll be healthy for you. Do I even have to repeat my reason why?"

Quiet settles on the room for all of a few moments. Caitlyn remains standing, staring down the younger of the two while Ezreal just tries his best to glare back. Eventually he replies, though said reply earns a roll of the eyes by the sheriff, "…Name another reason then-"

"Ez, come on, this is silly! Each year we go it is always a fun time, I've seen you smiling before and I know you will come along again this year. Besides, I already have your costume." What? Already has the costume? Caitlyn really is determined as always…

Another sigh escapes Ezreal, "Last year was horrible and so has every other year, Caitlyn. We both know _especially_ last year was bad."

The sheriff shifts her weight from one foot to the other, not out of nervousness of course but idle habit, "Last year wasn't _that_ b-"

"Draven got drunk and started throwing his axes at people thinking he was in a Halloween-themed execution! He injured like five people and killed someone's dog!" Ezreal all but snaps; he didn't quite mean to sound _that_ angry, but he really does feel he needs to make a point here. If he doesn't, he'll end up at that party some way or another.

Again silence takes them for a moment before the sheriff replies. She taps her fingers against her hip a few times then nods, "I'll admit that was pretty unpleasant, but they're not serving alcohol anymore so it's not going to happen again. You're just grasping for excuses, Ez, and none of them hold any ground!" Another sigh and then a drastic change of tone, this time much less standoffish and more caring, so to speak…actually, it is almost pleading. Almost. "Just give it up already and come with us, one night won't hurt you and it'll be fun to go somewhere together again. Think about it, when was the last time we went somewhere as a group?"

Ezreal breaks eye contact to look at the ground in thought, pursing his lips. Come to think of it, it has been awhile…Caitlyn is always busy with work while Jayce is tinkering with his inventions and Ezreal is wandering about the nearby wilderness. They live in the same town, but they so rarely ever speak as a group…different sleep schedules, different times at home, and often Caitlyn pulls all-nighters or Ezreal camps out. There simply hasn't been a recent time where they have gone somewhere for the fun of it…or so much as met up to chat.

When Caitlyn called Ezreal over earlier this day, he knew the eager sheriff was going to try and convince him to come to the Halloween party Swain always throws. He knew it and yet rather than avoiding all of this, he came over anyway and pretty much set himself up to be convinced. In a way, he does like these parties…he hates having it take up time from exploring the area, but it gives him time to be with friends. They always split up at the party, but they always talk before, on the way there, on the way back, and then after. Sometimes even during this party they meet up and introduce friends or something.

Finally, Ezreal nods. He can endure one night of forced human interaction rather than drawing a map, studying some random archeology book, or hiking around in the mountains. Again, even though they often wander about the party on their own, they always make time to talk on the way there and back. For once, everyone is on the same schedule and everyone has a story to tell of that night. "Alright, I'll go, but only because we haven't had the chance to go anywhere recently."

Caitlyn claps excitedly a few times, "Good! Let's get going we have a lot to do and only a few hours to get it done in!" She immediately grabs Ezreal's arm and tugs him forward a few moments, at least until they get near the door. She releases him then, deciding he can walk on his own, even if they don't get much further.

Before reaching that door, some hulking guy jumps between them and the door as he yells 'boo!' Though childish and obvious as to whom it is, it easily startles Ezreal and causes him to jump back (and yelp, though he will never admit to such) all the while Caitlyn seems completely unfazed and remains in place. The man chuckles, removing his cheap skeleton mask, "Did I scare you?"

Ezreal shoves him, though not enough to so much as move him and not exactly meant to either, while Caitlyn just stands and watches, likely enjoying the show. "What do you think?!" Ezreal exhales, calming himself though having to hold back laughing at the same time. He was wondering where Jayce was hiding…though he didn't think the other was _literally_ hiding, much less right around that corner nearest the door.

"Aw, come on Ez don't take it too hard, I was just messin' with you. Though, had Caitlyn not so bravely stood in front of you, I would have captured and devoured you." Jayce grins, rushing forward to snatch Ezreal in a headlock, mussing up the younger male's hair with his free hand. Yep, classic Jayce.

Ezreal claws at his arm and squirms best he can, but naturally he isn't able to do much against Jayce. He doesn't want to hurt the other so again he can't do much aside from try and struggle free, though even taking his feet off the ground and forcing Jayce to hold his full weight doesn't do a thing; in all likelihood he weighs about as much as that hammer Jayce made months back. He rests his feet back down and tries pushing back against his captor, but again no such luck; Caitlyn, meanwhile, watches. Ezreal huffs, though it isn't very serious given his laughter, "Come on, let me go!"

"Nah, I think any self-respecting monster would have his prey struggle awhile before eating it. What's the fun in a quick finish?" Jayce jokes, glancing at Caitlyn every now and again to smile back at her. It seems this is payback for not arriving on time…he didn't think two hours late would mean much, though, seeing as he was going to show up in the first place. "Surrender tiny human, I will only warn you once more!" And there goes Jayce messing up the younger male's hair again, as if it wasn't already.

Alright, it should be said that while Jayce acts like some average guy in his twenties, his mind is much, _much_ better than the usual guy said age…or most any age, really. This man is a genius, and though he doesn't flaunt it often, when he does anyone that watches is impressed. He works to invent things or improve things, mostly those of a mechanical nature. He even has some strange hammer weapon that can shift between a melee weapon and ranged weapon just by grasping the handle a certain way. His great personality, looks, and mind make him extremely popular in town, but much to most women's dismay he is spoken for and has been for a few years now. His chosen partner is, funny enough, the current sheriff of this city herself, Caitlyn.

Speaking of Caitlyn, she steps up and stands on her toes to kiss Jayce's cheek as per their usual greeting, "Alright, that's enough you two we have to get our costumes set up before the party." Caitlyn pats him on the shoulder and soon enough the youngest of the group is free once again.

Ezreal scurries away from Jayce and behind Caitlyn for added effect, which earns a snicker from both sheriff and inventor. Funny enough, this is a near exact recreation of when Ezreal first met Jayce…believe it or not, the inventor frightened him back then. It's silly now, of course, and likely counted as a running gag. The young male lifts a brow, "I thought you said you had my costume?" This comes out as more a questioning tone than a simple statement; he knows she said it but…well, apparently she didn't mean it.

Caitlyn smiles, "Nope, I don't even know what we're dressing as, but I know someone who can help me figure it out." Oh, he can already feel his face paling.

Jayce steps near Caitlyn in an exaggerated casual manner, slinging an arm over her shoulders once he stands beside her, "_So_, where we heading then? Costume shop? Mall? All of the above? None of the above?"

"You will just have to wait until we get there." She replies in almost a sing-song tone; her lack of an answer gets two completely different responses from both parties, Ezreal having a look of horror while Jayce one of curiosity and interest. Then again, Jayce doesn't have much to worry about given that _he_ isn't the one that ends up dressed like a girl.

The inventor 'releases' Caitlyn and instead walks a few feet to open the door, then turns back to offer his arm to the sheriff, "Shall we?" Caitlyn, naturally, accepts the gesture and the two head out the door while Ezreal walks past both of them after closing said door…well, attempts to walk ahead of them. Jayce tugs him back with the group and slings an arm over his shoulder, "Nope, you're included in this little party, too, Ez!" Well, that was unexpected and yet should have been expected.

The youngest male sighs wearily and yet, doesn't really care too much. It's been awhile since he's been able to go somewhere with his best friends, even if it is somewhere he dislikes going. So, Ezreal doesn't resist his friend (aka the over-sized teddy bear, as Caitlyn appropriately calls him) and instead walks alongside the small group, eagerly joining in the moment they begin their conversation.

…Though, to say he isn't still terrified of where they could possibly be heading would be a lie. With Caitlyn, it could be anywhere and by anywhere he means likely somewhere that justifies his paranoia.

-x-x-x-x-x-

When their small group reaches the large mansion doors, they are immediately greeted by a large, jet black mutated raven and a rather strangely dressed assassin. By strangely dressed assassin, Ezreal means Talon in a purple hoodie (a well made one, that is) with several blades on the back cape-like thing, one on his arm, and a few on his belt. The man, regardless of his rather intimidating stance and suit, greets the group with a smile and is quick to say his welcome and shake their hand.

Swain's costume, however, is much, much, _much_ more complex and simply amazing in design. His suit, bizarrely enough, manages to not only blink and move its beak, but shift around as if it were natural…Ezreal cannot even begin to imagine how much work he put into such a thing just to be shown two days a year. The raven suit looks basically like, well, an overgrown mutant raven with a _roughly_ human shape, but with huge claws, scaly arms such as feet on birds, and wings sprouting from its back. It of course has a large beak and…six eyes? Okay, so it's a _demon_ mutant raven. Close enough.

Caitlyn and Jayce are just as much so amazed by the suit as Ezreal, which is all too clear in how they prod or walk around the large black mass…well, Jayce does anyway. Caitlyn examines it from her place near the doorway and remains rather formal while Jayce crouches, walks around Swain, lifts feathers, tries moving the wings, and stands on his toes to look at the raven's head. He even knocks on Swain's 'beak' and earns several confused blinks from him and a small chuckle from Talon. Caitlyn tugs at Jayce's shirt collar soon enough to get him back to not acting like a moron. She apologizes for him, but neither hosts seem to care in the least.

Regardless of what just happened, the large bird appears to grin, extending its clawed hand, "Welcome, so glad you all could make it. Make yourselves at home and enjoy whatever food or beverage you like." Swain's voice…well, it's nearly impossible to tell it _is_ Swain. His voice is heavily distorted, but in a very skilled way. Somewhat shocked by the raven's voice yet not exactly showing it, Caitlyn shakes Swain's hand, as does Jayce and then finally Ezreal. He notes even the hand's scales look and feel authentic…it's simply amazing what one can do when given the resources.

"Man, Swain, you really go all-out with your costumes each year, don't you?" Caitlyn remarks, examining the suit best she can from a distance. Ezreal nods along, but doesn't bother trying to understand it; it looks amazing, that's all he really cares for.

Once done 'ooo'ing and 'aww'ing over Swain's costume as well as chatting briefly with Talon, they walk in and are, as always, amazed by the inside of Swain's home. The mansion is enormous and this room shows just a 'small' amount of it, boasting two staircases, a _monstrous_ main room, a large chandelier overhead, several couches and tables spread about the edge of the room, and of course a rather empty middle area aside from the fancily decorated rug on the floor. The place is naturally faintly lit for a Halloween party, and there are still plenty of strange decorations such as pumpkins, skeletons, bats, spiders, and ghosts hanging about. All in all, it looks very nice.

Caitlyn nudges Ezreal's arm, smiling, "Alright, me and Jaycey are going to go find some of our friends; go and at least _try_ to enjoy yourself, okay? Maybe find yourself a girlfriend, too?" The sheriff dashes away after this, arm-in-arm with Jayce…and by arm-in-arm he means Caitlyn dragged Jayce along by his arm. The younger male huffs and glares at their backs before turning around and wandering in a random direction; Caitlyn no doubt left in a hurry to avoid Ezreal's snippy reply, as usual.

And so the 'fun' begins. Every year he tends to stay near the edges of the room and away from the main crowds, though he usually ends up being dragged somewhere eventually. He sighs wearily, but decides to take this time to finally look around the room a bit more. He didn't quite notice it over the loudness of the crowd, but there is some 'spooky' music playing in the background to add to the already dark atmosphere of the place. There are even decorations on the ceiling, which alone earns some points, even if said decorations are cheap paper ghosts. The strangest decorations here would have to be the ravens situated at random points throughout the room…Ezreal isn't sure if they are living, but they look real minus the fact they have six eyes and thus match Swain's costume perfectly.

The layout of the room, decorations aside, is simple: there is a main lounge area in the center containing a few couches and a table in front of a fireplace, then there are several tables on the right side of the room, a few random chairs along the walls which were likely put there by the more antisocial partygoers, and finally a few large food tables along the left side of the room. Ezreal is willing to bet that those refreshments were made by Talon himself rather than bought from a store-

"Hey, ey, ey! Look who we have here! I haven't seen you around these parts too much, Blondie." Ezreal is turned around, a rather well-muscled arm (not as much as his brother's, but well enough) thrown over his shoulder and now leading him across the polished stone flooring. He looks up to see, as expected, the wide, mustached grin of Draven, whom so decides it is a _great_ idea to give him a swift but sloppy (complete with exaggerated sound from the executioner) kiss on the mouth. "Where you been? Draven's been lookin' _all_ over for ya!"

Ezreal spits at him then wipes his sleeve over his mouth, more to get the taste of _Draven_ out of his mouth than to show his aggravation at the obnoxious older male; though he doesn't care if it looks like he's trying to show his disgust with him, because in a way he is. "Now why would you want to do that? Haven't you learned that you aren't exactly my favorite person to talk to, _and_ I'm not exactly a lively addition to your little band of friends?" He twists out from under the other's arm then glares at him, "And I told you to stop calling me 'Blondie.'"

Draven waves him off and smiles all the while, again walking forward to put his arm around him, a bit tighter this time around, and continue forward, "Nonsense, Blondie! Draven loves your company and is one_ hundred _ percent sure my bro does as well! Plus, I want you to meet a very special someone of mine." 'A very special someone'? Now he's curious. Still angry, but curious all the same.

Though understandably reluctant, Ezreal allows the stranger of the two Blood Brothers to lead him across the room. Draven is…well, he is hard to describe without the only words used being 'narcissistic idiot.' The younger of the Blood Brothers moved here with his brother a little over a year ago and from day one the guy has been bugging Ezreal every which way. Draven tried hitting on him at first, mistaking him for a girl as many have, but soon lost interest when Ezreal occasionally flat out ignored him. Draven still insists on taking him places, introducing him to new friends, and telling any and every story about his job…which is usually quite gruesome.

The thing about the Blood Brothers is that their name is quite literal: in this city-state, execution is by some sort of blade. Not injection or possibly electrocution, but cruel, sharp blades wielded by two men that are equally as cold as the weapons they handle. The fact that there is no strict law as to how executions are to be carried out leaves much open for the brothers to do whatever it is they want. As such, both brothers have very distinct styles in which they carry out their duty.

Just like his personality, Draven's style of execution is flashy and unpredictable, which has earned him the title of 'Glorious Executioner.' Like some executioners of yore, Draven makes a show of his killings and attracts large crowds to watch the sick games he plays with his victims. One of his favorites is to chase a group of death row inmates about the yard, challenging them to run before he fells them one by one…or sometimes a few more depending on how hard he throws his blade. Though arrogant and heavily self-absorbed, Draven is extremely talented and never misses a shot unless he wants to 'miss' the quick kill. The crowd that gathers often cheers his name, sometimes even throwing out suggestions for what he should do next. It is a gruesome show and one that _anyone_ can attend. In a way, it could be seen as a statement: if one does crime in this city, one will end up like the people dressed in orange lying on the ground.

While Draven is flashy, Darius is swift and clean with his kills. He never plays games and he never fools around, he just slices their heads off with one powerful blow. He does this publicly as well, but he doesn't engage with the crowd in any way, shape, or form. He simply walks up to the chopping block, states the reasons for that man or woman's execution, then brings down his large blade. Though not as popular as his brother, he is well known and certainly feared as any who try and escape him are swiftly apprehended and meet a most gruesome fate by his axe. Most observers, judging from the reactions, never knew an axe could be swung so harshly as to split through a person's skull (and even further) right down the center while said person is running.

It is strange just how different the two brothers are…Ezreal shakes his head in wonder; how can one of them be so agonizing to talk to, while the other is actually a very nice converser? Darius, of course, being the more pleasant of the two to chat with, surprising as it may seem. He is cold and reserved by nature, but Darius will listen and offer his two cents, or he will hold an enjoyable conversation when so desired.

He snaps from his thoughts upon the two finally reaching a small table already occupied by several people, whom so greet them (or not) in various ways as they approach. Once there, Draven waves him to his seat, which he takes as he notes the table's occupants as discreetly as possible, so not to look as if he is staring. Naturally, their group consists of everyone Draven calls a friend: Katarina and Cassiopeia Du Couteau, a redheaded woman Ezreal has never seen before, and, of course, Darius- wait.

Ezreal blinks, "Darius, why are you in a bunny suit?" More like a _playboy_ bunny suit, but he leaves that part out for the older male's sake. To be honest he looks quite good in it, but Ezreal withholds this comment as well, lest he anger the woman sitting next to Darius.

The man next to him tenses, then relaxes and looks him straight in the eye despite an ever so light shade of red tinting the executioner's face, "Katarina wanted my costume to match hers." He nods to the woman in question, whom so is dressed as a black cat complete with tail and ears. Darius, similar to his date, has white bunny ears placed on his head and a little tail on the lower end of his costume. Darius also has a nice bowtie around his neck, gloves, and the rest could be seen at just about any club in town. The suit he wears is a woman's playboy suit and not much can be said.

Now, Darius doesn't have too much skin showing when compared to Katarina, but that said, the elder Du Couteau has enough knives to ward off any man's advances, plus the large brute of an executioner at her side (as if she needs him to be intimidating). She also has gloves, but they seem to have sharp nails on the end of them, making them more catlike Ezreal guesses. Katarina doesn't mind the costume and likely chose it just to watch her companion squirm, and squirm he does to an extent. Darius looks humiliated for obvious reasons, but he still holds himself high rather than slumping over or trying to hide his face.

Katarina smiles sweetly, patting the poor executioner's arm then holding on to said arm with both of hers, "Oh, but Darius, honey, you make such a _cute_ little bunny rabbit." Her voice sounds just as innocent as she looks to the man whom she has somehow managed to suit up like this. She shifts a bit in order to lean up then kiss the executioner's cheek, then seats herself normally once again. This behavior, though loving and nice to the eye, is just another harsh blow to the man next to her, whom so clearly notices it but does not comment.

Draven, however, remains oblivious as he takes his seat next to Ezreal, "What did Draven tell ya, Blondie, she is just so nice to him." He shakes his head in wonder, resting it on his hand soon after to stare at the 'happy' couple. How Darius manages to so much as tolerate Katarina, Ezreal will never know. Even more puzzling is how Draven hasn't managed to be gutted alive by her.

"Erm, well, she certainly sounds a lot less nasty." And this promptly earns a death glare from Katarina and a snicker from Cassiopeia as well as the redhead next to Draven. Ezreal shifts and immediately turns his attention to Darius, attempting to ignore the angry Du Couteau. Oh boy, now he has to worry about Katarina following him home then murdering him on the way.

It is no secret that Katarina isn't the most…honorable of citizens around. Her personality alone is enough to drive away most, but those who are actually foolish enough to get in a fight with her soon find out that she is indeed more than just a very pretty, yet very grumpy, face. It is rumored that she is an assassin that works under Swain and is responsible for many 'disappearances' in the area. However, there is absolutely no evidence linking her to any murders, that is when the bodies are found (in which they are often statements to gangs or mobs).

Rumors aside, Katarina has proven that though she is hot-tempered, she does not pick fights and never throws punches (or blades) unless one is thrown her way first. She has also proven to have a soft side somewhere deep, deep, _deep_ down, but Darius and Cassiopeia are the only ones whom so have seen this. Draven has likely walked in on such moments, but that doesn't exactly count as he probably ends up with a few new scars.

Darius clears his throat, sensing the all too obvious anger from the so-called Sinister Blade, "So, Ezreal, what are you doing here? You don't exactly _like_ parties, so it is a bit curious as to why-"

"Hold that thought bro, I still gotta introduce Blondie here to my new girlfriend!" Draven interrupts, earning a polite nod from Darius despite the situation and the silence needed to continue…though even if Darius had kept talking, Ezreal has a feeling that Draven would have just kept on going. The younger Blood Brother claps once then points to the redhead, "Blondie, this is Fortune and," he now points to Ezreal, "Fortune this is my friend, Blondie." Draven sits himself back down from his slightly standing position before, leaving both involved with that little introduction a bit peeved.

Fortune sighs, shaking her head but extending her hand to Ezreal, "_Sarah_ Fortune, though everyone except Draven calls me Miss Fortune." She tips her hat slightly with her free hand, a habit usually seen only by Caitlyn…does she work with Caitlyn? That thought aside for a moment, Ezreal only now notes Miss Fortune is wearing a mafiaesque outfit, which is a bit surprising to say the least. By mafiaesque, he means a dark purple, pinstriped suit paired with a hat that has a nice purple ring around the middle. This suit is made complete by the two guns that look suspiciously like ones commonly used in the mob…in fact they might just be. It's certainly a bold move given the recent news about mob crimes, but Miss Fortune pulls off the look quite nicely.

Ezreal gives his best friendly smile and accepts the gesture, shaking Sarah's hand, "Ezreal, though no one ever seems to use my real name; I would list those nicknames, but there are so many it would take all night." Miss Fortune gives a full-hearted laugh at this, nodding along. He withdraws his hand, "Erm, I have a quick question, do you happen to work with Caitlyn, by any chance?"

Miss Fortune seems pretty surprised at him asking this, but nods, "I do, actually, but how did you…" She trails off then snaps her fingers, "It's the hat thing, isn't it? I picked up that little quirk after working with her a few years." She chuckles, shaking her head, "I probably should have recognized you from the stories that Caitlyn has told me about you."

Oh, he can already feel his face pale at this, "S-Stories?" Oh no, no…what has that jerk of a friend Caitlyn said _now_? The last time he knew Caitlyn was telling stories about him, he ended up on a blind date a few days later with a young woman named Lux. Not only was that awkward, but Ezreal discovered just how bad he is at small talk. Needless to say it was a bad date and he hasn't spoken with Lux since…which, admittedly, he is thankful for. Her brute of a brother terrified him, to be honest.

A knowing smile spreads across Sarah's face, "Didn't Darius ask you a question?"…Maybe it's better if he doesn't know.

Choosing to go along with the subject change all too willingly, Ezreal coughs then turns to Darius, "What is it you wanted to ask again? Sorry, I sort of forgot." His smile turns apologetic, earning an off-handed wave from the older Blood Brother. Miss Fortune snickers then turns to chatting with Cassiopeia, likely because Draven is busy 'eavesdropping' on other conversations being had at that table.

"No need to apologize, it is not your fault. My brother has a habit of derailing conversations swiftly and without mercy, leaving no survivors in his wake." This little crack gets a bit of a laugh from everyone except Draven, whom so just puffs his chest proudly and grins. Darius shakes his head, "What I asked before was why you are here if you detest parties so much."

The younger male sighs, "It's that obvious, huh?" Darius, and Katarina surprisingly enough, nod. Ezreal does the same, though in a somewhat annoyed fashion if at all possible, "Well, Caitlyn thought it would be 'healthy' for me to socialize with people every now and again. She does this a lot, but I still don't like it." Another exhale and shake of his head, "I do chat with people at my job every now and again, I would think that counts."

"I think she means more than just asking if they would like fries with that." Katarina remarks dryly, a taunting smirk spreading across her face as she idly holds her hand in front of her in order to check her nails…even though said nails are covered by a glove as part of her costume. Draven, naturally, bursts out laughing at the comment and Cassiopeia snickers meanwhile Darius sends a disapproving glare Katarina's way. She glances up casually, "What? Taking orders from random idiots isn't exactly healthy conversation."

Ezreal frowns but figures it best not to antagonize the elder Du Couteau sister, "Well, at least I work."…Okay, so maybe he could have done better in terms of not provoking Katarina. It is well known Katarina _technically_ has no job, but again it is assumed she is an assassin. Assumptions aside, she comes from a rich family and doesn't exactly work. She hunts, does weapons training, and collects knives, but she doesn't work.

Surprisingly, Katarina just raises a brow, "Yes, I am sure that jotting down food names on a piece of paper is such _exhausting_ work. I apologize for my insult." Oh. That's why.

The younger male huffs, glaring at the other then opening his mouth to retort when Darius leans forward to break eye contact between the two, "Alright, that is quite enough." Ezreal mumbles an apology to_ Darius_ while Katarina just flips her hair back. The executioner sighs, then shakes his head, "That topic aside, I don't quite understand why you find it so bad to be here. I myself am actually having a good time despite everything."

Ezreal shrugs, relaxing in his chair, "I just don't like it. I've never been a huge people person, hence why I spend my free time reading. I like Caitlyn and Jayce of course but I don't want to _have_ to talk to people, you know? I don't see any unhealthy aspects of not socializing besides the fact I don't get insulted or sick or hit on…by men and women."

Darius nods but doesn't question further, be it because he ran out of curiosity Ezreal might never know as Draven immediately cuts in, "Hey, Blondie! I forgot to tell you about my most recent show! Boy, this was a good one, even by _my_ standards!" Oh boy, here we go. Ezreal sighs and settles into his chair; this is going to be a _long_ night.

-x-x-

It takes well over two hours for Draven to complete is gruesomely detailed story, plus a few more he remembers, and it likely would have taken longer had a raven not decided to swoop down and steal his food. Draven being Draven yelled at it and immediately gave chase, snatching up his blades and no doubt preparing for a whole new twist on his usual shows. To be honest, the whole thing was quite amusing; it even earned a laugh from Katarina, whom so egged him on in chasing down the feathered thief. Darius seemed to grow uneasy for some reason, likely because his crazed brother began throwing his axes at a bird, and left soon after to stop the younger Blood Brother.

Sadly, this left Ezreal seated next to Katarina, whom so immediately began eyeing Ezreal as a cat does its prey. Naturally, Ezreal decides to leave soon after Darius…it probably doesn't help that Cassiopeia mouths something that looks suspiciously like 'run' shortly before Ezreal excuses himself from the table and wanders off in a random direction _away_ from them.

Though unintentional, he won't complain that he ends up heading straight toward the food tables. Seeing as he last ate lunch several hours ago, Ezreal decides he might as well eat a few things here. Free food, after all. What he does not quite expect to see is the sheer selection of food Swain has managed to bunch together for this party. Not only that, but the decorations that adorn the table itself _and_ the food are very well placed despite them looking like common decor.

On top of food and a punch bowl, there are a few of those little chocolate or cheese fountain thingies (Caitlyn said they are called fondue machines, right?) one might see on TV or something, though Ezreal has never seen one in person. He naturally snatches a plate and picks up a few biscuits to dip into that later. For now he notes what all is on the table just in case he gets hungry for more than just a small snack later. Anyway, the table is covered in little 'cobwebs' as well as little plastic spiders, dead things, rats, and of course pumpkins and bats.

What jumps out most, besides those fountain things and the decorations, is the fact that most foods hold the common Halloween theme and are colored or shaped as such. The punch is a dark red and seems to have a thickener of some sort, likely to simulate blood, while food such as those biscuits Ezreal took are shaped like spiders, bats, or pumpkins. Some of the other foods, such as cupcakes, are frosted in black or orange colors and possibly sprinkled with little candy ghosts and skulls. Surprisingly enough, there are not only desserts but things such as hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, and even _steak_ which are again themed appropriately; who thought of making the hotdog buns look like centipedes while the hamburger buns look like skulls? It's all very clever, he must admit.

Speaking of skulls, those fountains happen to be a skull (plus the rest of the skeleton) spitting whatever said fountain contains into a gothic-styled bowl, which is held by said skeleton. The jack-o-lantern punch bowl seems pretty normal in comparison. Most amazing of all, these decorations seem to glow in the low lighting of this place, adding an eerie atmosphere to the entire set. Ezreal bites into one of the snagged biscuits, shaking his head in admiration of the whole layout.

…And then it hits him that he has spent a good few minutes or so studying the decorations. If this doesn't scream boredom, he doesn't know what does. He sighs and shakes his head, this time out of annoyance; how much longer does he have to be here? He chatted with Draven, Katarina, Miss Fortune, Darius, and even a little bit with Cassiopeia between Draven's stories; if that doesn't count he doesn't know what does-

"Enjoying the decorations?" Ezreal jumps, turning to meet the kind smile of-…actually, he hasn't seen this man before. He is quite tall, that's for sure, and his clothing is a black robe-like article of clothing with a few blades on each shoulder. Blades aside, the only other color than black is the white markings that decorate parts of his suit. Strangely, the tips of both his index fingers have some sort of sharp, metallic cover or claw…that certainly is something the young male has never seen before. Speaking of claws, this man's nails are pretty dang close to claws as well, even the uncovered ones look nastily sharp and pointed, though are of course not as long. These clawed fingers cup the base of a wine glass, the longer part of the glass set between his index and middle finger. The man tilts his head, his long white hair shifting accordingly, "Sir?"

Oh, yeah, he did sort of start a conversation. Ezreal shakes his head and smiles apologetically, "Sorry- er, but yes, I am. Swain really went all out with the decorations this year, huh?" 'All out' seems like an understatement, he went absolutely insane. Naturally, the younger male keeps this bit to himself.

The man nods, swirling his red drink a bit, "He certainly has! Why, I have never seen a greater show of festivities in all my years! It is really quite marvelous." He looks around the room, an energetic spark in his eye as he does so. This man looks in his mid thirties, but to be honest his eyes look like those of a child's…and yet, they look older than anyone else's Ezreal has seen. Speaking of his eyes, they are a dark shade of red and almost seem to glow ever so faintly…huh, those must have been some pretty expensive contacts.

Well, it looks like Caitlyn is getting her wish for the second time tonight; here he is, talking to a complete stranger about decorations. Fascinating. Though, he's never seen this guy around, and that's really saying something seeing as the restaurant he works at is a popular first stop for visitors or a pit stop for people just driving through. Maybe this guy just came for the party?

Apparently he had been sort of dazed out a bit while thinking, when he finally refocuses his sight he sees the strangely-dressed man looking him over…not like some guys who look at him like some sort of plaything, but almost curious. Like a scientist looking over a new specimen. It's a bit strange to be honest. He shifts under the other's gaze, "So, uh…sir, are you new here or just came for the party?"

The man feigns smacking his face with his free hand, "How could I have forgotten my manners? My sincerest apologies, my name is Dmitri. It is such a pleasure to meet you." He takes a low bow as he introduces himself, then stands up straight once again as if realizing something. He then offers his hand, "May I ask your name before I respond to your inquiry?"

Huh, well, at least he's polite? Ezreal accepts his gesture and shakes his hand, "Ezreal, and same to you."

His smile turns to a grin, which shows that his teeth, the canines to be exact, are quite a bit sharper and longer than normal; heck, they even look a bit longer than Ezreal's current ones. Even compared to the fangs Caitlyn made him wear, Dmitri's look pretty dang real, which is certainly saying something. "Ah! That is a wonderful name, if I may say so!" He releases the younger male's hand and nods, "To answer your question, I am in fact new here. A friend and myself decided it was high time to start living more like everyone else rather than secluded in some cabin. He is around here somewhere as well, if you are curious…hm…I am not quite sure where he wandered off to, though…" He trails off, looking around the room for a bit.

A cabin? Like a cabin in the woods or something? That sounds about the most logical thing…and even that is a bit strange. Then again, it sounds pretty good compared to a city. Ezreal, though not exactly wanting to offend someone he has just met, is simply too curious not to press further on this, "Do you mean you lived in the woods before moving here?" Dmitri snaps his attention back to the conversation then nods, that smile never leaving his face. Aside from his grin and when he complained about his manners, it never really has changed. "How come? And what changed your mind to move here?"

"Well, it was convenient to live fairly alone in the woods then, that is for many years, but now such a lifestyle is a bit of a burden." He sighs almost longingly, shaking his head, "As much as I enjoyed having all sorts of free time and not a care in the world aside from food and other basic needs, times change and either we change with them or we perish." He again grins and soon has that energetic spark in his eyes, "Besides, I have always been somewhat interested in running my own business and now have that chance! Why, by Halloween day I will be serving my first customers! How riveting is that?"

A new business? Ezreal blinks, "A business huh? What and where is it?"

Dmitri nods, "It is a café that I plan to open tomorrow. There are none downtown and that of course means no current competition…well, this and I personally adore little shops such as those! I want to see the people in this town at their best: relaxed and happy. Cafés really are so calming…" he trails off, his grin turning to an unusual smile...by unusual Ezreal means somewhat creepy. Dmitri shakes his head, "My apologies, I have gone and made myself hungry now!" He laughs, setting down his now empty wine glass and picking up a plate, "Anyway, that is more than enough about myself, I am curious about you, little one. For starters, what are you?"

…'Little one'? Ezreal bites back a comment about that and simply answers his question, "Well, I'm a vampire believe it or not." He pauses a moment, then nods, "I guess I'm a bit of a young one though seeing as my fangs haven't grown in quite as much as yours." That's a better answer than he actually thought it would have been. Certainly better than just a boring rundown of his costume, too.

The other seems completely taken aback, nearly dropping his plate and the food on it, "A vampire you say? Now that is a surprise! I thought Vladimir and myself were the only ones here, it is comforting to know we are indeed not alone! I apologize for not realizing that earlier, this room is so full of different scents that I could not for the life of me tell which one was yours!" He does a small bow this time, strangely enough, and bares his fangs in a grin. Ezreal assumes he's playing his character part and does the same in return, though it's more of a hesitant, forced grin rather than the confidant one Dmitri has. It is more than enough to earn a curious look from him, yet an almost adoring, or condescending, one at the same time, "Oh my, you must be young! When were you turned?"

Huh, Ezreal didn't exactly expect people to be so carefree here, and especially not mess around in character during conversations. This is a lot easier than he expected. He stops grinning at the other, "Uh, a few days ago."

Dmitri nods, again looking him over…maybe it's just him, but the older male still looks a bit hungry. Either Dmitri is really good at pulling off his role or he's very open with his emotions. "Ah, yes, that would explain the lack of fangs. I will leave that topic alone, however, as I am more curious about what you do around here. Do you have a job or perhaps attend college?"

"I work for Talon at his restaurant, as for school I sort of dropped out my first year of high school. I would have dropped out sooner but Caitlyn nagged me to at least finish grades before high school." Ezreal shifts, a bit nervous about having shared that. Usually it earns disapproving looks, scolding, or lectures. Or all of the above.

Surprisingly, Dmitri doesn't seem to care in the least and in fact nods in agreement, "You managed better than myself! I did not attend any form of school, I prefer to learn from experience or teach myself, and I have done just that for many, many years." Well that's a different reply. He certainly won't complain, even if it sounds a bit strange coming from a man whom talks as if he went to some high-class college.

It looks as if Dmitri is going to say more, but he abruptly stops and looks around the room, again a curious look taking over his usual smile. He seems to find what he is looking for soon enough as that grin returns soon enough, "Ah! It looks as if someone is trying to wave you over, little one." He nods toward the lounge area then takes a bite of his food soon after.

Ezreal looks around the lounge for a bit before finally seeing what Dmitri did, though how he managed to hear that, much less tell it was Taric, out of every other voice and sound he will never know. The younger male flashes an apologetic smile to his new kind of friend, "Sorry, I'll have to cut this short, I sort of promised Taric that if I came here I would talk to him."

Dmitri waves it off, "Oh, do not give it a second thought! It was such a pleasure to meet you, little one, and I might have to visit that little restaurant sometime. I do hope to talk to you again someday should you wish it." He pauses a moment, then again flashes his fangs, "In fact, I would love it if you accepted me as an acquaintance! It has been years since I have had a younger vampire to look after and guide through these changes! I am curious to see how you do, plus I would be honored to guard you should it ever come to that."

"Erm, thanks I guess. Good to know." Ezreal backs up a bit, nodding, "I, er, accept your offer of friendship? I wouldn't mind talking with you again sometime." Plus it would prove to Caitlyn he has made a new friend (aside from Miss Fortune, but she was introduced to him anyway). Mission accomplished, he can go home soon now. He offers another smile, this one genuine, "Alright, I'll head out but thanks for your offer and everything. I've never met such a nice, er, vampire before. I look forward to seeing you again-!"

Well, he certainly didn't expect Dmitri to hug him all the sudden; it is a swift hug, but it is strange all the same. The other backs off quickly, appearing almost confused for a few moments before he smiles, "As do I, farewell, little one, and let me know if you encounter any problems, be them as trivial as hunting questions or dangerous as another creature!"

-x-x-

It doesn't take long for him to make his way over to Taric's couch, though on the way he can't help but ponder that strange guy from before. He seemed nice enough, though his switching between in character and personal was a bit strange at times…though, honestly, he prefers people that take conversations lightly rather than act as if everything's life or death. He has a feeling, however, that Caitlyn will be a bit disappointed it was not a younger woman he decided to befriend, but whatever. A friend is a friend to him, he doesn't need anything more.

But, enough about that, it's about time he had the chance to talk to a good friend of his. As far as Taric goes, he's pretty normal…which is saying something seeing as this city is filled with weirdos. He runs a jewelry store (with a custom suit thing on the side) and has made himself ridiculously rich with it, and he sometimes has the personality to match his wealth. The jeweler slash tailor prides himself in his work, often putting in remarks about other's handiworks or comparing them to his own. He means well, he honestly does, he just comes off as a bit too blunt for most…in all honesty he sort of is. He doesn't tend to sugarcoat things, that's for sure.

Even though he's pretty blunt when it comes to his work, he is a pretty good guy to talk to so long as one doesn't bring it up. In a town such as this, however, Taric manages to get along with most everyone, even Katarina seems to tolerate him to a certain extent. Though this is probably because Cassiopeia is a regular customer at Taric's shop and Katarina wants to be nice to the one whom her sister is buying from due to discounts the jeweler happens to give to friends. He is likely aware of this being the reason she never insults him, but for some reason doesn't see a need to call her out on it.

As for how Ezreal and Taric get along, it's pretty safe to say they're best friends. He isn't as close to him as Caitlyn or Jayce, but the two get along well enough that they chat whenever possible. That being said, they don't talk often and they don't go out to places much, but when they do it's always a blast, that's for sure. Even if Taric is a bit stuck up at times, he does know how to have fun when the opportunity arises. It probably helps that Taric pays for everything so they can do more expensive things or eat some place fancy, but hey it is what it is. Ezreal certainly won't complain about free food and free stuff.

Ezreal greets his friend with a grin as he plops down next to him, keeping a wary eye on Varus but otherwise pretty at ease for once tonight. "Hey Taric, how's everything going?" He glances to Varus, "And hello to you too. I see you're dreary as always." This earns a bit of a glare from Varus, but no other reply.

Taric, however, looks him over and raises a brow, frowning, "Where did you manage to get _that_? I saw it from afar and thought it looked alright but now I'm not so sure." Oh. Great. He's in one of his moods again, isn't he? "Really, the stitching there is shoddy, the color combination here doesn't work, that little cuff there looks completely misaligned…"

And this is exactly what he means. Taric will likely go on awhile about this, so Ezreal just leans against the armrest of the couch and keeps his head turned toward Taric, but his eyes elsewhere. He sees Dmitri is chatting to Talon now, which is a bit of a shocker actually. It seems they're sharing some story or joke, too, given the laughing from Talon and wide grin on Dmitri's face and many hand movements he gives. Lucky dogs. Ezreal frankly should have known Taric would nag him about his costume before they can have a decent conversation.

Meanwhile at the 'Table of Draven,' Katarina is chatting quite amiably to Darius (at least from what Ezreal can tell from her face; for all he knows, she's throwing around scathing insults), whom so is listening and offering some input every now and again. Draven is finally back in his seat and eating something while Miss Fortune and Cassiopeia talk about whatever it is girls talk about- oh wait, Draven is actually participating heavily in that conversation with Sarah and Cass, regardless of his mouth full of food. Both women appear to expect as much from him and don't seem to care.

Ezreal would have started to look around for Jayce and Caitlyn, but Taric starts to end his rant by that time.

"…And don't even get me started on those shoes." Taric finally seems to conclude, sighing wearily and shaking his head, "Tsk, why didn't you just come to me right away? I could have stitched you up a fine costume and you wouldn't have ended up in this mess."

A weary sigh, "I didn't want to bug you, Taric, and Caitlyn insisted on stitching these herself and you know how she is about stuff once she sets her sights on doing something." Ezreal spares a glance at Varus, whom so hasn't really moved much. He does note the archer's suit, though, as looking almost military in design. Taric, meanwhile, is dressed in a simple black and white suit, nothing too fancy. Again but quick idle notes before returning to their conversation, "Did you call me over just to insult my costume or what?"

Taric blinks a few times, then sighs wearily, "Sorry, it's been a rough few nights." He shakes his head, smiling faintly, "Lots of orders and even a few thefts…though your costume still is a bit-"

"Don't worry about it, I know how it is." Well, he doesn't, but he doesn't know what else to say. The younger male shakes his head, preferring to quickly leave the previous topic behind, "Anyway, how has the party been for you?"

Taric shrugs, "Decent enough. Swain's costume is a bit poorly done, though. The eyes he has on that thing don't even focus on you, they stare right through! Plus the beak, wings, and hands could have certainly been done better." He nods his head a few times, "Thankfully I have seen some good costumes around here. The man you were talking to before dressed decent enough, there was someone dressed as a giant oak tree thing that was very nice, and then there was someone dressed as a fiery zombie that was simply excellent in both makeup and tailoring! I must admit, whatever he did with those flames really works wonders."

Ezreal raises his brows, both at dissing Swain's amazing costume and then the small description of the zombie, "Whoa, that does sound neat." He pauses a moment, then tests his luck with asking a question to the rather grumpy jeweler, "By the way, have you seen many people here sort of acting like their costumes?"

"Mhm, a lot of them have, but that's the fun in Halloween, now isn't it? Being something you're not…or just dressing up for parties." Taric again shrugs, picking up what looks to be a glass of water from the table nearest the couch, taking a drink, then setting his glass back down. "But enough on that, I'm a bit curious about the man you were talking to. Is he moving here or just here for the party? It would be nice to see a new face around town every now and again…anyway, tell me about your new friend!"

The younger male smiles somewhat; there's the Taric he knows. "Oh, uh, well there isn't much to say we didn't talk too terribly long. About all I know is his name is Dmitri and he came here with a friend after having lived in the woods for years. He mentioned it had become 'a burden' and so they moved here…that and he said he wanted to start a café business." He explains, looking at Taric all the while for any reactions. The jeweler seems curious, bringing his hand to his chin in thought and nodding along. Ezreal notes that Varus is keeping tabs on this as well, though he doesn't let his emotions show as per usual. "That's about it though."

A hum escapes Taric, whom glances to Varus then back to Ezreal, "Interesting. It's nice to have some newcomers, even if they are a bit strange. Do you know where they settled in?"

Funny enough, Ezreal never remembered being told that. Then again, who would tell a stranger their house's location right off the bat? He shakes his head, "Nah, he didn't mention it and I didn't think to ask. He said he'd visit me at my job though so I _could_ ask him if you want. He seems pretty open with information anyway." Ezreal pauses a moment then frowns somewhat, not in annoyance or anger but thought, "Well, I think he was. He kind of kept swapping to speaking in character, for all I know he did the whole time."

The jeweler seems somewhat surprised, "Really? I met up with a bunch of people who did the same thing! There was some gentleman in a purple hoodie, a rather tacky one at that, whom had a few strange dogs with him, that or they were animatronic…well, either way that drooling one was an unusual one. It even talked! How much work did he have to put into _that_ one? Even if it didn't always speak in full sentences." He nods over to another end of the room closer to the right-hand stairs, "There was also a nine-tailed fox woman that has been trying to seduce men all night, a woman who said she was a plant, and some guy dressed as a werewolf that is following around a 'mad chemist.' I spoke with the whole lot and all talked in strange accents and spoke nothing but stuff relating to their costumes. It's pretty impressive if you think about it."

"Well, in that case I should probably start acting monsterier to blend in with everyone." Ezreal again frowns; 'monsterier'? Really? And with that, he decides to swiftly change the subject, "So, how's your job been?" Yep, best topic changing ever.

Taric chuckles but lets him off the hook, playing along with the younger male rather than calling out his awkward wording, "I have had several costumers these past few months, mostly Cassiopeia and one woman dressed half-way as a spider. I found the time to make some Halloween-themed jewels for the season and those have sold quite well so far! Aside from that, there have been many simple orders from people in town for rings or necklaces or what have you." He sighs happily, "I never thought I would love my job so much. Gems truly are-"

"Oh! Would you look at that? I think I need to go meet up with someone upstairs, see you later, Taric." Ezreal interrupts somewhat rudely, but honestly that guy can go on forever talking about gems so best to stop him early…or leave. Ezreal nods, then rushes a bit too quickly across the room and up those stairs.

-x-x-

Once free from that, Ezreal opts to have a look around the place. It's a massive house and Swain allows anyone to go anywhere…well, except Draven whom so cannot leave the main room except to use the restroom, but that's another story altogether. Anyway, huge house and free-roam means Ezreal gets to burn some time wandering about alone rather than having to deal with strangers.

So, he takes the right-hand stairway and keeps to the right down a massive hall, his body relaxing as the sound of the party gets more and more faint. Soon enough, he can just scarcely hear the screaming and laughing of random partygoers; he sighs in relief and continues down the hall quite happily. Unlike downstairs in the main room, the upstairs area's decorations end at the hallway's frame. Once one goes down the hall, all decorations are gone and instead are the usual dark walls of Swain's mansion-

"Hello, what's this…?" The young boy pauses, blinking then looking over what looks to be a statue or gruesome-looking taxidermy project. Well, not of a natural animal but more of a mix. The dog…_thing_ is nearly the size of a horse, pitch black in color, has a long tale with a spear-like tip, and massive jaws with many, many massive teeth…almost human-like teeth, except much bigger. This weird creature has no eyes and is heavily emaciated, but again it is no living animal that Ezreal is aware of. It looks like something out of a horror movie…it even has jet black claws, sharp ones at that.

Well, so much for decorations being just out there. Why Swain left one of the best ones up here, he will never know. Ezreal hesitantly runs his hand over the monster's head, holding in a shudder from its feel. It is cold, but it doesn't feel dead…whoever made this did an amazing job. Its head is smooth to the touch, its body feels rougher but again this is likely intended. This creature is beautifully designed and _amazingly_ put together. To be honest, it is starting to freak him out a bit. Before this thing starts to creep him out anymore than it already has, the boy backs off and continues down the main hall.

This hall branches in to many corridors, but most dead end rather quickly. Ezreal heads down one just to turn back around but moments later. When he returns to look both ways, mostly at that dog thing out of his own childish paranoia- did someone move that thing? The boy again swallows a most horrible feeling of dread. These halls are barely lit as it is, but having that taxidermy thing disappear when no one was around- no. Someone had to have been around. He shakes his head and continues a little more quickly down the darkened corridor.

Upon rounding the next corner, however, the boy stops dead and swiftly turns around, pressing his back against the wall as he tries to slow his rapidly mounting fear. Okay, he did _not_ expect to see Talon and Swain (now out of costume) sitting on a bench set against the wall. Now, those two are an unexpected sight up here in and of themselves, but seeing them _kissing_ is just…wow. He would have taken a second look just to make sure if he wasn't so scared of them finding him.

To set this straight: if Swain and Talon wanted people knowing about their relations, they would have told people. However, no one appears to know as the media never says a word of it and _certainly_ would if they knew, so obviously it is a secret and he should probably leave. Any leader in their right mind would want to silence something like this from being leaked during times such as these. The media would just run rampant if they knew Swain is having relations with a suspected (more like 'known' but it has never been proven with evidence) assassin. Ezreal takes a deep breath then exhales; okay, chances are they don't want anyone knowing, so he'll just calmly walk away and-

The second he turns to head elsewhere, he finds himself _almost_ running into Talon, quite literally. The man is just inches from him when he loops around, which naturally causes the boy to jump, "Talon! I- I didn't see you there! Sorry for almost bumping into you, how have you been?" He says his sentences quickly, hoping dearly neither assassin nor Swain-

"I saw you before, Ezreal, no need to be so worried. It's not as if we are going to kill you if you know our little secret…" he trails off with a dark smile, to which Ezreal laughs nervously and assumes he's free to go; that is until Talon continues, "I only will if you tell someone." The boy pales.

Ezreal raises his arms in front of him defensively, backing away the slightest amount, "Whoa! I won't tell a soul, not Caitlyn or Jayce or anyone, honest!" He tries to sound calm, but…well, with a known assassin staring him down, he finds it a bit difficult. At least his heartbeat is calming down again, if just slightly.

Talon smirks from under his hood, an action just barely seen thanks to the shadows from said hood combined with the already low lighting of this place, "Good, we understand each other then." He sets his hand on the boy's shoulder, griping it firmly and earning a rather frightened look from Ezreal. Talon just keeps that same smirk on his face as he urges Ezreal forward, "Come, sit with us." This is a command, not an offer.

The boy nods, and almost asks about the 'us' part before remembering Swain. With all that happened beforehand he had forgotten the party's host…not to mention leader of this city-state. Talon walks side-by-side with Ezreal, but it is clear who leads this small journey around the corner then horrifically slowly toward the bench from before.

Swain appears to very likely be smiling judging from what little of his face not hidden by that scarf of his, but it is enough to calm Ezreal…even if the man isn't smiling. Best to assume he is. "Ah, Ezreal, please sit down." And the boy's assumption seems to be right given Swain's friendly tone as he pats the spot next to him. The raven on his shoulder watches closely, like a dog would do for anything strange near its master. Strangely, the bird has a setup that makes it look like it has six bright red eyes. Those eyes…they are realistic enough to track the young boy as he sits, and certainly realistic enough to seem as if they are peering right into his soul. Ezreal suppresses a shudder.

Talon takes a seat next to the younger male, leaving him between the two and nervously glancing at one then the other. Talon _still_ has that same smile while Swain…well, it's hard to tell any facial expressions Swain has. He would almost be better off looking at that raven on his shoulder. Ezreal shifts, "So, uh, how is everything?"

"Why are you wandering about up here? I have no problems with it in the least, however I am curious of your intentions." Swain looks the boy over briefly, then glances to Talon. Ezreal should have known they would avoid any other attempts at conversation…then again, he _is_ snooping around their home and he _did_ walk in on them kissing.

Ezreal turns toward Swain, trying to at least ease himself about being so terribly close to Talon given the circumstances. Normally he'd be fine, he works with Talon all the time and he considers the man a good friend, but this seems far above any other thing he could possibly have done to remotely bother the tolerant assassin and his boss. He clears his throat, "I just wanted to look around." Swain raises a brow, again looking to Talon questioningly; oh please don't think he's lying. The young male shakes his head, "I really was! I love exploring, so I thought I should burn time by looking around this place and then sort of walked up and- I really didn't mean to cause trouble or see anything I shouldn't, I just wanted to look around a bit-"

Swain, thankfully, raises his hand as a sign the boy should just shut up already. Ezreal takes this time to catch his breath; that previous sentence was said so quickly and all at once it easily causes him to lose his breath for a moment. Swain takes the time to speak, "I believe you, boy, do not worry about that. Talon has mentioned how good a person you are and I trust you meant no harm in your little exploration."

The younger male blinks; what? Swain believed him? "Then why did you bring me over here? And ask what I was doing?"

A husky chuckle escapes Swain, "I was unsure what story you would decide to give me and wanted to find out. I commend you for telling the truth, even if it sounded a bit strange...as for why you are here, why not just chat a little while before I must return to entertaining guests before the night's end? I will ensure you have your time to explore before I call off the festivities for the night."

Ezreal reluctantly tries to relax himself, finding it somewhat easier to do so this time around, "Alright, I guess a few minutes wouldn't hurt. I mean, I _am_ sitting next to the ruler of our city-state, after all." He looks between the two again, somewhat unnerved by the lack of replies from both. He thinks a few moments on what to ask, then almost starts upon remembering his main question, "Swain, do you have a dog? Maybe one in costume? Or a dog-like taxidermy thing anywhere?" Okay, strange way to start a conversation, but it works.

Swain blinks a few times, his scarf hiding whatever movements his mouth might make, "No, why do you ask?" The manor's owner glances to Talon and raises a brow, to which the assassin shrugs in reply.

Silence. Ezreal shifts a bit, certainly quite unnerved with their answer, then shakes his head, "No reason. Erm, what made you want to throw this party anyway? Seems strange to let anyone and everyone enter your home mostly unattended."

Swain nods, "To be completely honest with you, it is good publicity. I am a very open leader, and people respect me for it." He glances to Talon after saying this, then his raven, then returns his attention to Ezreal. Well, that was strange. The boy dismisses this as Swain continues, "People may come talk to me about problems or just to get to know me, they are also allowed to explore my home as much as they wish. They see I have nothing to hide, and they begin to trust me." A smile no doubt spreads across his face, "However, they fear me enough not to steal anything, and I know this seeing as I know every item in every room. Nothing has ever been stolen."

The boy raises his brows, "Wow, that's quite the track record." Swain nods, again seeming to glance to his bird- which _glances back_ at that exact same time. Okay…Ezreal shifts a bit; Swain has an unnatural feel about him. He sounds nice and he has never raised his voice when Ezreal has spoken with him, but…but he can't shake the feeling this guy isn't all he seems to be. Swain just has a strange, unsettling aura about him. The boy chalks this up to Swain being a powerful figure; it's likely just intimidation he feels from the older man.

"Indeed it is." Swain adjusts his sitting position somewhat to turn more toward Talon and Ezreal. His bird doesn't move too much, even when its master puts it between himself and a wall; that is one tolerant raven. "Now, I am curious, boy, as to why it is you work as a waiter when you clearly love exploration much more. I understand you need a job for a home, but certainly you wanted something more adventurous than just a waiter." That's a bit of a random topic…huh.

Regardless, Ezreal glances to Talon then nods, "I never wanted a job in the first place, but Caitlyn made me go out and find one. Thing is, no one would hire a high school dropout," he sighs, then smiles, "except Talon, who also let me be a bit more flexible with my workdays than most. He lets me skip certain days as long as I make up for it later. I'm still really thankful for it!"

Talon smiles, this time the friendly one Ezreal is used to, and chuckles, "Ah yes, and I never have regretted my decision. You are still my favorite waiter," Ezreal grins proudly at this, "even if you skip some work days without notice and force me to make you work overtime some days." He pats the young boy on the back, his friendly smile soon replaced by a more unnerving one. Ezreal's proud grin vanishes in an instant, a rather uneasy one taking its place, "However, should you skip work _too_ often, I _will_ be forced to make you work weekends and holidays to make up for it. In a restaurant that serves people most hours of the day, this is not difficult to do."

Swain chuckles, patting Ezreal on the back similarly to how Talon did just moments before, "Oh, pay him no heed, he is a softy when it comes to people he grows a fondness for." The host again glances to Talon, an almost teasing glint in his eye, then back to Ezreal, "You seem like a good boy anyway, so I am sure he never will have to punish you too severely."

"Thanks, sir." Ezreal says with a smile, more shocked than anything at how kind Swain is. He has heard of this man being somewhat callous in most conversations, not happily smiling (likely) and laughing. Not only that, but being swift to support Ezreal in that little conversation. Ezreal looks to the raven perched on Swain's shoulder for a moment then back to its owner. "So, did anything interesting happen tonight?"

Swain no doubt smiles judging from the slight change of his expression, "Just Swain, please. As for your question, nothing has happened but it is preferred to last year's little incident. Draven has behaved himself all too well this time, even if he did chase one of my birds with those custom axes of his." He looks to his raven to sort of pinch its neck feathers gently between his index finger and thumb, to which the large bird shuts its (numerous) eyes and relaxes. He again chuckles, "No ill will to Draven, however, seeing as it was my raven that started it in the first place."

Ezreal looks curiously to the bird, "How did you train so many of them? You even dressed them up and they don't mind at all!"

The older man shrugs, "I did not train so much as tame them. They do everything on their own, I taught them nothing. As for how I did it, I just spent a lot of time with them since they were but eggs. That they of course do not remember, but my oldest ones have seen me care for eggs and understand…time with them is all it takes." The raven opens its eyes once Swain removes his hand, seeming somewhat miffed he did so but not making a sound.

Talon sighs, "Time is right, he kept getting up in the middle of the night to feed them. Turns out they need to be fed quite often when they are little." He looks to the raven, frowning at it as if it had done him wrong before. The raven, surprisingly, looks back at him and stand the slightest bit higher. Is that thing mocking him? "_Now_ they take food right from the pantry. They can _open_ the pantry door. I swear, no matter what I do they still open it! I've locked it, tied it shut, and so on, but nothing works."

Ezreal's eyes widen, "Really?! I knew they were smart, but not _that_ smart." Well, that would explain a few things, namely Talon glaring at the nearest raven, which almost appears to be mocking him. "Why'd you start raising ravens anyway? I'd think Talon would be a bit angry about the messes they leave behind, considering he is about the food thing."

A shake of the head and chuckle says ahead of time Ezreal is quite off the mark. "Oh no, these birds do their business outdoors. Talon does not mind them so long as they do not tear things up or make messes, which they might do just to make him mad, but it is his fault for showing that it bugs him." Swain takes his eyes off his raven in order to very briefly glance at Talon, rather mockingly (much like the raven on his shoulder) that time, then turn his attention to Ezreal, "As for why I raised them, I found a nest somewhere it should not have been and took the eggs to care for. I doubt the parents were living anymore, so the poor creatures would have died had I not stepped in. Talon, so much as he disliked the idea, helped raise them. We tried to release them, but they refused to leave seeing as they get easy food here." Another laugh, "Talon isn't too fond of his," he nods to a now sighing Talon, "but he lets them stay. I have more than I originally did because they have decided to couple up with wild ravens in the area. Those ravens also stick around now. I think you know where that led."

Ezreal laughs and nods, "You're the master of your own flock, Swain, congratulations."

"You have no idea how correct you are." Both Swain and Talon reply, surprising the boy somewhat. The two again look to each other then laugh, both standing, Swain taking his cane while Talon appears to stand by in case of him being needed.

Swain nods to the young boy, "I apologize, but I will have to cut this short. I cannot stay absent for too long, I am the host after all. Explore wherever you wish, but you might want to consider doing so as soon as possible." Swain appears to smile, offering his hand, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ezreal, and I hope to speak with you again sometime."

Shocked, the young boy accepts the gesture and smiles back, "It's an honor to meet you, Swain, and same here." He takes his hand back then watches the leader of this entire city-state head down the hall then vanish around the corner. Ezreal sighs in relief; well, good thing he didn't mess anything up. This should be more than enough to please Caitlyn.

Talon walks up and offers his hand as well, this time wearing a kind grin rather than the unnerving ones from before, "I expect to see you in work tomorrow, by the way." The assassin withdraws his hand, resting it half on his hip, "Just because it's Halloween does not mean you get away without doing your job."

The younger male groans, "But I thought I got Halloween off!"

"Not after you skipped yesterday to explore wherever it is you wandered off to. Work for a few hours tomorrow at the least, I will not make you work twelve hours, I assure you." A smirk plays on the assassin's lips, "I will, however, expect to see you from six AM sharp until five PM."

Ezreal all but whines, "Talon _please_-"

Talon raises his hand and shakes his head, "There is no room for argument here, I will see you tomorrow. Come in costume, by the way; it _is_ Halloween, after all." With that, Swain's guard turns and leaves, that bladed cape flowing strangely behind him. Talon waves his hand as he exits the area, calling back a quick 'happy Halloween!' before disappearing around the corner.

Well that's _just_ the news Ezreal wanted to hear. He sighs wearily and holds back a groan as he turns to look around him. Ezreal continues down the hall soon after Talon leaves, searching several rooms out of sheer curiosity as he makes his way through the mansion. He doesn't search _every_ room of course, but he does look through a fair few of them. If he searched _every_ room now he would have no time to see this whole floor. So, he simply goes down hall after hall, looking around a few rooms then turning around to head down another path. He's somewhat curious as to where Swain's room is, but Ezreal is willing to bet it is on the very top floor rather than just the second. Oh well, he might get a chance some other time to find it.

As he continues his way down the many quiet hallways of Swain's manor he pauses; are those voices? None of the party sounds this far away…he blinks then walks a bit further, wincing when his feet hit squeaky boards. Before it was no problem but now it's a bit troubling. Oh well, soon enough he thinks he has found the room, then looks around just to make sure no one else is around.

Ezreal walks as quietly as he can toward the room he assumes is the one where the voices are coming from, caring not to set off any of the creaky boards that litter this place; it is an old building, so it is to be expected, but he would really prefer it not happen now. So far his luck is good, as he gets right near the door and is able to peek through what little crack between the door and wall there is in order to listen to the occupants' conversation…well, try to. They are talking much too low for Ezreal to understand anything they are saying.

What he can tell is that the male in that room looks pretty unhappy with the female. A dark haired woman dressed as a nine-tailed fox in a short dress of sorts leans against him or basically touches him whenever possible, to which a white haired man in a nice red suit with a bit of white decoration (and various blades, which reminds him of Dmitri's costume in a way) either backs away a bit or shakes her off. She usually pouts then persists, standing on her toes to whisper in his ear until he again moves away, seeming to threaten her but it doesn't really work if he is.

The woman's tails twitch and sway, usually in an idle action unless she seems to control one into doing something such as running over the man's face, arm, or wrapping lightly around his leg, to which he always takes her tail off him and glares. The fox's ears twitch, yet another interesting mechanic on her already amazing costume, then she again appears to try and get him to warm up to her by- well, that's not exactly going to work. In a flash she uses but one hand to shove the larger male backwards onto the bed behind him, which earns a startled sound from him and a giggle from the woman, whom so swiftly takes a seat on his waist.

Her movements…they are comparable to her costume's inspiration, really. She is swift and graceful, though her intentions aren't exactly great from the looks of things. She leans forward and runs a finger down his chest then picks up and lightly tugs the man's red tie, appearing to whisper something then kiss him, to which he…growls in reply? Is Ezreal hearing that right? The young male shakes his head and continues watching out of sheer curiosity…and somewhat the desire to help that guy. He doesn't know the older man, but honestly he pities him and does want to help if possible…he just has to think of something.

Meanwhile, the fox lady, having ceased their kiss, scratches under the man's chin with her finger as her tails twitch almost playfully. The man under her again appears to snarl, baring his teeth and raising his hand to try and either shove the woman off or slash at her with those sharp nails of his (even from a distance they look nastily pointed). Whatever his reason was will never be known, however, as the fox catches his hand with ease, surprising the man. She appears to laugh, tsking him as one of her tails twitches in his face, earning a grimace from him before he turns his head.

Ezreal frowns; come on, think of something…what could he possibly say to make that woman not question him- actually that could work. The young male takes a deep breath, nods to himself; helping this man couldn't hurt, and certainly he doesn't want to be with that woman anyway. Ezreal then opens the door and steps right in, looking around then setting his eyes on the room's occupants. He notes the man's relieved expression the second that door opens, while, strangely, the woman doesn't seem too bothered at all.

The fox lady casually looks toward the doorway and raises a brow, "Need something?" Is her innocent and all too casual reply, which unnerves Ezreal much more than if she were to have sounded angry or even annoyed.

He nods, putting on his usual brave in the face of danger look, "Swain requested I come up here and fetch him," Ezreal nods to the man whose name he doesn't know and dearly hopes the fox doesn't ask for, "for some reason. He didn't explain why, but I assume it's important."

She looks down at the male beneath her then back to Ezreal, though by that time the young boy has walked over to the bed, grabbed the man's tie, and pulled him along best he could. The man easily sees his chance at freedom and squirms out from under the fox, whom so makes no move to stop him but does pout as Ezreal 'drags' the man with him out the door then down the hall.

He wanders down a few random corridors, the man staying right behind him (and Ezreal probably not needing to keep holding that guy's tie but doing so anyway) the entire time. Eventually he stops in some hall a ways away from the bedroom before, then looks around. Well, rather than stay out in the open hallway where that fox might decide to change her mind and track them down, Ezreal decides to throw some random door open, 'shove' the man inside, then follow. Now, that woman will not only have to wander about the halls but also find the correct room; she should give up eventually and leave this guy alone.

Only when he shuts the door behind him does he realize it is in fact not a room but a rather cramped closet…at least she won't expect it. Ezreal tugs the hanging chain in order to turn on a small light on the ceiling but does his best to keep quiet, back against the door as he listens for any sign the fox might be walking down that hallway. He noticed she has a bell on her costume, so if he hears that then it should be no problem-

The man sighs wearily, smiling faintly, "Thank you so very much for helping me out of that mess." He says in but a whisper, likely just as cautious as Ezreal about the fox returning.

Ezreal nods, "No problem, I'm just sorry I didn't find you two sooner." He looks to the ceiling considering his next question, then forward again, "Who was she anyway? And why was she so adamant about, well…why was she bugging you?"

Another sigh, but this time a bit annoyed, "Ahri is her name, and do not blame her completely, it is partially my fault for trying to have a decent conversation with a nine-tailed fox." He pauses, seeming to note the slight confusion on Ezreal's face, "Do you know anything of the nine-tailed fox legends?" Ezreal shakes his head, to which the other nods. "The nine-tailed fox's legend varies from culture to culture, but the one Ahri happens to be is, naturally, the vilest one of the bunch. She can change her form between fox and woman freely, but prefers the form of a beautiful woman in order to seduce men. Once she has his guard down completely, likely while he is attempting to have at her, she kills him and removes his heart and or liver. She eats whatever she removes then runs off into the night."

"Well that's…gross. Interesting, but gross." Man, that is one costume that shouldn't be played out. Ezreal shudders, deciding to move from the door and instead lean against the opposite wall. Either way he's still a bit close to the stranger he just saved. Well, sort of stranger; he's willing to bet this is Vladimir, whom so Dmitri mentioned earlier, but he still doesn't know this guy personally. Oh well, at least he can clear up the name thing now. "I'm Ezreal, by the way. I didn't quite catch your name."

The man takes a bit of a bow, which is difficult given the space they're in but he does his best, "Vladimir," he stands and bares his teeth in a grin; however, while Dmitri's grin was confidant, reasonably close to intimidating, this one is a much more friendly smile, "and I must thank you properly for saving me, Ezreal. I want to make it up to you, it takes bravery to get between a nine-tailed fox and her prey; heart to do so for a complete stranger."

Ezreal grins back, though again sheepishly, to which Vladimir seems the slightest bit surprised and yet quite pleased. Well that's odd…even stranger is that Vladimir still seems unsure about something. What is he trying to figure out? Ezreal shakes his head, "There's no need to repay me, I really don't mind. I just sort of thought you needed help." He puts his hands in front of him defensively then waves them somewhat, trying more to get his point across than anything. He really did just want to help, he doesn't want this guy assuming there is some debt to be paid off.

"Oh, but I _want_ to repay you! I want to do something for you in return, even if it does not quite measure up to what you did for me." Vladimir leans forward somewhat, looking the boy over curiously. Again, he is reminded of how Dmitri looked him over…yet this is a different type of analyzing; Dmitri looked purely curious while Vladimir does have a look of curiosity, but it is more something Ezreal cannot quite place…he never has been good at reading expressions.

He moves nervously, yet holds in an annoyed groan at this man's persistence. "I really don't want to trouble you…but if you insist, I guess as long as it's nothing big." The boy sighs wearily, keeping his eyes glued to the floor for the time being. "What do you have in mind?"

Ezreal looks up just in time to see another wide grin spread across Vladimir's face, "I am not quite sure yet, but I will think of something. Unless, of course, _you_ have something in mind…?" Again the larger male leans forward, his face just inches from Ezreal's and those sharp teeth making the younger of the two just the slightest bit more nervous. He isn't sure why, but those teeth…they just unnerve him. Then again, that's the point.

The young boy in question does back up a small amount in response, pressing himself against the wall to keep a small distance between them. He shakes his head, "I don't have anything in mind, really, that's why I asked you." He again shifts in place, looks around the closet for a few moments, then makes eye contact with Vladimir, "Oh, and I've been meaning to say that your fangs are really impressive!" He nods a few times, eager to leave their previous topic, "Very, erm, unnerving."

Vladimir seems quite thankful for the compliment on his teeth, so much so he- _kisses_ the younger male…? Ezreal's face heats up in an instant, even if it is just a light kiss on the cheek. Vladimir keeps his head near Ezreal's for a short time then backs off and smiles, again showing his teeth but to a lesser extent, "I am pleased you think so." That seems a bit of an understatement given the whole kiss thing.

The younger male shifts, opening his mouth to ask about that whole kiss thing when a little bell chimes and the door unlatches. Ezreal starts, forgetting his previous question and immediately grabbing Vladimir's lapel and bringing him down to his level in order to _kiss this guy_ after already having been kissed. He- he was just panicked he didn't know what to do, he just-

"You _little_ creep! I talked to Swain and he said that he never asked anyone to fetch anyone, much less someone he spoke with for like three seconds then…" Ahri, having actually decided to look into the closet now, trails off, "oh…_ohhh_." She puts a hand on her hip, smirking at the two, "_That's_ why you ran to his rescue; you two are mates, aren't you? I've never seen a vampire couple with the same sex before, but hey whatever floats your boat." She shrugs, smirking at the two. "You know you could have just _asked_ and I would have let him go, right? I was just looking for snacks, not a big deal."

Ezreal, having shakily released Vladimir a bit ago, swallows and lowers his head somewhat. He naturally averts his gaze from the two, looking to the floor in utter humiliation; _why_ kissing? "I- sorry- I have to- please excuse me." And with that he rather hastily takes his leave, passing the fox and not daring to look back to the man he just kissed full on the lips.

-x-x-

Immediately he heads to the balcony, hoping some fresh air will calm him…and to hopefully not run into Ahri or Vladimir again. The other male was just being friendly, some countries kiss people on the cheek as a greeting or thank you…_he_, on the other hand, just kissed that guy _on the mouth_ and has no excuse for doing so. It…it was a split-second thing, but still nothing he should have done. Worst yet is they got caught…now it looks like he dragged Vladimir along just to _make out with him_. The boy shakes his head, plopping down on the stone bench near the balcony's railing. He doesn't care about his own reputation, but what of the man he kissed? What if Vladimir has a wife or something? This would _not_ look good…

Worst yet is that he found himself liking the feel of it all, plus Vladimir looks pretty dang good- Ezreal shakes his head. Enough of that. That man is no doubt taken given his personality and- okay, really, no more of this. He looks around the area instead, something he picked up from Caitlyn, whom so said she analyzes rooms or environments when she feels nervous and cannot do anything about it.

This balcony is pretty big, about the size of a large room. It's completely made of stone with a few benches along the rails, which look over a seemingly never ending forest. The scenery is amazing here, he notes immediately that the moon is full, sky is partially clouded; it's the sky one imagines seeing on a Halloween night. The forest just wraps it up perfectly with its yellow, red, or completely bare trees. The crickets heard from floors down are calming as well, adding further to the atmosphere. All this needs is a wolf howling and it's set. There's already an owl hooting every now and again, which he guesses works well enough.

Ezreal stiffens as he hears the glass door behind him open and shut. Please just be Swain searching for stragglers to send home- oh who is he kidding, his luck isn't that good. The guest who is no doubt Vladimir sits down next to the younger male, proving just that by moving into the boy's peripheral vision. He doesn't dare look that man in the eye…so, he doesn't; he keeps his eyes looking down and hopes it looks somewhat like he's peeking through the rails.

"Ezreal?" The other murmurs, leaning forward somewhat in order to try and see Ezreal's face. The younger male just decides to give that up and musters enough courage to look Vladimir in the eyes- for all of two seconds. He looks to the man's shirt or off to the side soon after trying. Vladimir, however, will have none of it and uses a clawed finger to force him into making eye contact, "Are you alright? You left in quite a hurry."

The boy shifts, "I'm just- I have no excuse for what I did and I apologize for it. I think it's me that owes you now- assuming you want to see me again after something like _that_." Oh, now he's just a jumbled mess. Way to go.

Vladimir again smiles, though not as much as before, "Now what makes you think I am the least bit upset? I don't mind what you did, in fact I loved it." Ezreal blinks; he what now? The other male's grin returns as he moves a bit closer, his leg up against Ezreal's and appearing to not care the least about personal space. "You, my dear Ezreal, are still pretty new to vampirism from the looks of things, so I will assume you still follow human customs. I assume a kiss to you is much more in value than it is to me…that is to say that kissing the wrong person is considered offensive, while to me it is no big deal." Ezreal again is quite confused, but will take what he can get. If Vladimir isn't upset then that's good enough.

"I still owe you so far as I am concerned, and I refuse to let that debt go unpaid…" Vladimir tails off, putting his head near Ezreal's to again give the boy a light kiss, "what I am trying to say, is I would love it if you would allow me to escort you home. I would have asked to stay the rest of the party, however said festivity is over and so I will settle for this."

Ezreal again blinks in confusion, "You…want to walk me home?" This guy is interested in him…? So, Vladimir has no one else? Right? Here's hoping that's the case. Well, this probably isn't what Caitlyn expected when it comes to dates but- okay, this guy is _not_ a date, he just wants to walk him home. Probably to repay that 'debt' and then they're done. They never speak again and that's that…and yet he wants to see this man again. _Why_ is what he wants to know; he just met this man, he doesn't know anything about him and-

"Yes, if you would not mind me doing so." Again he shows off those fangs of his, then deciding to nuzzle the boy's neck. Ezreal stiffens once again, for some reason extremely uneasy about Vladimir being so close to his neck, which the other seems to not notice in the least. The older male hums happily, "You smell wonderful, by the way…or should I say still human?" He stops speaking aloud here, but Ezreal could have sworn Vladimir mutters something about tasting something.

Another few nervous movements, "I don't mind, I guess. I'll just, erm, let Caitlyn know." Oh boy, this is going to be a disaster. When the sheriff so much as hears about Ezreal finding a new friend she gets excited, but this guy walking him home will just make her go insane. He almost shudders at the thought, however, she would throttle the young male for leaving and not telling her, so it is best that he does.

Vladimir tilts his head somewhat, "Caitlyn?"

-x-x-

It doesn't take them long to get downstairs and find Caitlyn, namely because just about everyone else is gone and she, Swain (now back in costume), Jayce, and Talon are standing near the door. It appears as if they are sharing a few stories from the party seeing as Jayce is waving his hands to explain something to Talon while Caitlyn looks to be giving Swain a report on that night, given her face is her usual work face. By the time Ezreal walks up, however, Swain is getting ready to start cleaning the mess left behind by their guests. The host gives Ezreal a friendly greeting (surprising Caitlyn that they had spoken before) and then farewell before he takes his leave. Talon does the same, giving a quick good night to everyone before joining Swain across the room.

With just Jayce and Caitlyn left, plus Ezreal and Vladimir of course, it takes but a moment for the sheriff to ask about Ezreal's new friend. She looks the man up and down, hands going to her hips (they would go to her gun had she brought it, no doubt), "Who is this, Ez?" She sounds somewhat suspicious at first, raising a brow. Must be the blades. Jayce peers curiously over her shoulder, but stays out of the sheriff's way.

Ezreal holds in a sigh; he understands Caitlyn's worry, but she tends to sometimes be a little…overprotective. A lot actually. The young male clears his throat, choosing the more direct route, "This is Vladimir, he offered to walk me home." He states as bluntly as he can; and here it comes.

Caitlyn does a double take while Jayce's eyes almost bug out of their sockets; Vladimir, on the other hand, seems somewhat worried. He remains in front of Ezreal, but very much reluctantly it looks like. He shifts, he keeps his eyes locked on Caitlyn, his hands twitch every now and again, and he just all around doesn't seem at ease- "Is she a monster hunter?" Oh.

"Why yes, yes I am, vampire scum." Caitlyn says with a glare and without so much as missing a beat; her glare, however, lessens and she laughs soon after. She steps forward a moment and pats Vladimir's shoulder, which again seems to make him nervous, "Just take good care of my friend here and you'll be just fine." And then she turns her tone to a heavily serious one, "However, if you so much as look at my little Ez wrong, I'll skin you alive, tear your arms and legs off, bleed you out, stick a stake through your heart, then cut your head off." Vladimir pales, swallowing dryly and backing up somewhat, which earns a rather cruel laugh from Caitlyn. Ezreal is about to call her out for calling him short and being so protective, but-

Jayce immediately steps to her side, "And I'll help." _That_ earns a laugh from the sheriff as well as Ezreal, whom so just lets the name thing slide for now. The inventor steps forward, his Frankenstein's monster costume adding quite a bit to his usual intimidation face as he glowers down on the darn near cowering Vladimir. Ezreal knows he's just joking around of course, but quite clearly Vladimir does not. Thankfully for Ezreal's friend, a few moments later Jayce also pulls his usual wide grin and offers his hand, "Aw, I'm just playin' with you, you look like a good enough guy. My name's Jayce, just so you know."

Vladimir reluctantly accepts the handshake, but withdraws his hand the moment allowed to do so, "Vladimir, and…good to hear." He again swallows, looking between the two and seeming to debate on taking a step back, "I will not harm the boy, if that is what you are concerned about. I am actually quite interested in him."

Caitlyn nearly jumps, but does do a quick enough movement to startle Vladimir, "You are?! That's fantastic! It seems our little Ez is finally going out and finding people, Jayce." She wipes a nonexistent tear from her eye then leans to Jayce's side dramatically, "They grow up so fast."

Ezreal's face is, of course, a nice bright red thanks to her and he does try to hide this but does a rather poor job of it, "Caitlyn!" He looks to Vladimir, waving his hands in front of him, "They are _not_ my parents, just so you know! They just act like it, I swear!"

A few confused blinks then a nod is the reply he gets from Vladimir, whom so seems too unnerved to say much else. Thankfully, Jayce decides to speak up next, "Alrighty, as much as I'd like to keep chatting, Cait here has work to do and I doubt she'd leave if I didn't say it's time to go now. So, it's time to go now and we'll have to meet again soon, Vladdy."

Caitlyn sighs, nodding in agreement, "Sadly enough he's right. We'll talk more later; I want to know _everything_ about how this came about, Ez. Have fun and play safe you two, see you!" And with that, the two walk off without a word, again to ensure Ezreal doesn't snap back or anything of the sort.

The younger male sputters a few times, his face a bright red; he would have gone after her for that but with Vladimir standing there- oh boy he heard that. Ezreal again keeps his eyes elsewhere; anywhere but at Vladimir, "We- we should probably head out now."

Vladimir chuckles, but nods in agreement, seeming more at ease as he takes Ezreal by the arm, as Jayce often does with Caitlyn, before leading the two out the door and down the pathway.

-x-x-

They leave in relative silence and remain that way through most the first few minutes. Ezreal points out directions as they walk, but aside from that things are pretty quiet. Vladimir looks down at him often, but Ezreal really prefers not to make eye contact. He just…well, he can't quite explain why, he just doesn't want to. Maybe he's afraid he'll blush or stutter or something like that, as he already has and still doesn't understand why. Yeah, this guy looks good, but Ezreal highly doubts they will talk too much after this is through. He has nothing to worry about, so why does he get so nervous? He isn't the type for that.

He shakes his head and looks forward, noting the streetlights that illuminate their way along the deserted sidewalks of the town. Soon after this note, Ezreal looks to Vladimir after the man sighs happily, he sees a wide grin on the other's face which earns a confused look from him. Vladimir looks back down after having been staring at the sky and really most anything around them, "It is so beautiful at night, is it not? Shame most are asleep now, it is the best light to dine under."

Unsure if Vladimir is still playing his role or being serious, Ezreal decides to assume he is talking from personal preference, "I've never actually eaten this late." The other's eyes widen a bit in surprise, to which he nods, "If I'm ever up this late it's usually because I'm trying to set up camp or can't sleep, so the last thing I end up doing is eating out."

Vladimir smiles adoringly, though unlike Dmitri there is not one visible ounce of patronization, "You truly are young, aren't you?" Ezreal blinks, confusion again clear on his face. Maybe it was an in character statement…? Vladimir continues, his tone cheery, "Trust me, dear boy, the moonlight will become your most common light to dine by. It sets a much better atmosphere compared to the sun, anyway, wouldn't you say? What fun is a fully lit area? No shadows to dance about, no crickets and other nightlife to sound the area. The daytime wildlife is just too noisy! Even if it were not, you never hear of a romantic dinner in the sunlight, now do you? No. That's because sunlit things are boring and leave nothing to the imagination."

By this time Ezreal is actually laughing somewhat, much to Vladimir's delight, and shaking his head, "You have a point there. People are so noisy in the daytime, not only them but their cars and just…everything!" He flails his free hand in front of him for emphasis, his other arm still locked with Vladimir's, "Plus the moon is rather nice…" he glances up then frowns in confusion, "but what if there is no moon? New moons, you know? What then? It's a bit hard to see much less eat with no light. Believe me, I've camped out _many_ times during a new moon and the only answer is a flashlight."

"Again, you are just so young." Vladimir chuckles, leaning down a bit to nuzzle him and again earn a nice blush in response. He never usually blushes this much…Ezreal holds in a huff as the other male continues, "If there is no moon you can still see quite easily, and even if you could not, dining in the dark is quite fun." He flashes his teeth again after having backed off enough for Ezreal to see, yet still close enough to make the boy uneasy. Ezreal doesn't let on that he is nervous, however, so how Vladimir notices his unease confuses him…but, the other does, that much is obvious from the widening grin and chuckle.

After this, both parties fall silent. Ezreal because for one he is unsure what to say or how to react, and Vladimir because…well, the younger male isn't sure why his companion falls silent. Maybe because he wants to take in the sights in silence? Maybe he decides to leave the boy alone due to that uneasiness? Who knows, but whatever the reason both remain silent for the remainder of their journey.

Finally Ezreal signals to stop in front of a rather small apartment, looking up to his 'escort' with a faint smile, "Well, this is it." He spreads his arms out to emphasize the small building behind him, "It's not much but it's home." He scratches his arm, more a nervous habit than it actually itching. He really is stumped on what to say…

Vladimir nods, taking a bow, "Very well. With that, I will leave you to your night." He stands back up, looking over the younger male, again appearing to analyze him for some reason or another. Ezreal shudders.

Seeing as there is nothing else being said, Vladimir nods once again and turns to leave, stopping only because Ezreal rushes forward a few paces to snatch his arm. The other raises a brow, though an amused smirk plays on his lips. Ezreal releases Vladimir immediately as if just realizing what he did, then backs up a bit and coughs, "Erm, one last thing." Vladimir keeps quiet, tilting his head somewhat, a clear sign to keep going. Ezreal continues, "I want to know if maybe you want to go out tomorrow- I mean like trick-or-treating or just to talk or something!" Smooth, real smooth. He holds in a sigh, forcing a smile, "Anything you have in mind? Assuming you want to come along, I mean if you don't then-"

"I would love to." Vladimir interrupts with an eager grin, "_Candy_ during Halloween always tastes sweetest."


End file.
